Second Half of 2026 Book Club Picks
+ Read Widely with Your Creative Community
Hello, Protagonists!
We previously revealed our first six Book Club picks for 2026, but now we have filled out the schedule to get us through the end of the year!
Each meeting is approximately 1 hour long:
30-ish minutes: Book Discussion
30-ish minutes: Mini Creativity Coaching session
Our “Reading with Wonder” Book Club is for our community members who want to dive even deeper into how great books work. Come nerd out with us! 🤓
Recordings of past meetings & Discussion Qs are available HERE
Our Book Club Picks for the Second Half of 2026
July:
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - Natalie Heller Mills is a high-society influencer who has built a massive empire by curating a sanitized, “traditional” lifestyle for her eight million followers. Her carefully constructed facade shatters when she wakes up in a gritty, primitive reality where she must trade her industrial kitchen and nannies for blood-stained labor and survival.
🐝 Everyone is talking about this one! Let’s see what the buzz is about. 🐝
Meeting date: Sunday, July 25, 2026 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
August: VIRTUAL LAUNCH PARTY!!
Ideal Life by Evelyn Skye - After a catastrophic glitch threatens her neuroscience startup, Talia Morgan discovers a mysterious watch that allows her to rewind the last twenty-four hours and endlessly perfect every detail of her life. However, as her addiction to rewriting the past alienates her loved ones, she uncovers a dark conspiracy surrounding her work and must decide whether to keep cheating time or embrace a messy, authentic reality.
🎉 Come celebrate and support our amazing Evelyn!!! 🎉
Meeting date: Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
» Zoom link to come - This book club meeting will be open to the public.
September:
We Need Your Art by Amie McNee - By dismantling the fear and shame associated with being a creative, this empowering guide helps aspiring artists overcome impostor syndrome and build sustainable daily habits. Featuring a practical two-week reset plan and insightful journal prompts, this book provides the emotional framework needed to confidently celebrate your ambition and consistently produce your work.
🎨 Let’s recommit to our art as we head into the fall! 🎨
Meeting date: Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
» ZOOM link to come
October:
The Everlasting by Alix Harrow - Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories—but her life, as it truly happened, has been forgotten. Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs. But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story--they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
💫 It’s the perfect time of year to disappear into some fantasy. 💫
Meeting date: Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
» ZOOM link to come
November and December / CIA Holiday Party:
Winter Hours by Mary Oliver - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver presents a deeply personal collection of essays, memoir, and poetry that explores her intimate connection with both the natural world and the craft of writing. By weaving together meditations on her daily life with insightful critiques of literary masters like Frost and Whitman, Oliver provides readers with a rare, graceful glimpse into her private and natural self.
🕯️Make a warm drink, get cozy, and reflect on your year with us. 🕯️
HOLIDAY PARTY date: Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
» ZOOM link to come
🫶🏼 Mini Creativity Coaching sessions
The second 30-minutes of each meeting are creativity conversations or mini coaching sessions!
Each month, Joanna chooses a topic (such as creative goal setting, the grief of rejection, the psychology of writer’s block, the power of play) and book club members will get to share their experiences, as well as receive reflection and support.
Together, we’ll see deeper into our creative selves, bask in the camaraderie of our community, and find ways through our challenges. 💛
If you’d like to join us in the Book Club, you can upgrade to a paid membership here:
or:
Refer friends to receive complimentary months:
1 referral = 1 month free
2 referrals = 3 months free
3 referrals = 1 year free
The more the merrier, so go ahead and invite your friends!